PalmPay has introduced NightGuard, a security feature that allows customers to require additional verification for transfers during selected night-time hours, giving users more control over when extra checks apply to their accounts. The fintech company announced the rollout in a statement on Saturday, saying the feature is available through its upgraded Security Centre.
How PalmPay's NightGuard Works
Customers can set a protection window within the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Any transfer attempted during their chosen period will require an additional verification step before it can be completed. The feature targets a concern for digital-payment users: the risk of unauthorised transfers when a phone is lost or compromised, particularly during periods when account activity may escape immediate attention.
NightGuard allows users to decide when they want an extra layer of verification on transfers, rather than applying the additional check to every transfer throughout the day. Once a customer selects a protection period within the available overnight window, transfer attempts during those hours become subject to the extra security requirement, Punch reports.
Why PalmPay Is Focusing on Night Transfers
Explaining the initiative, Femi Hanson, Head of PalmPay Nigeria Marketing, said a compromised or missing phone could present particular risks overnight. "While fraud can happen at any time, there are situations where a compromised or lost phone can create additional risks at night," Hanson said. "Giving customers more control over when additional verification is required can provide another layer of protection."
The feature therefore centres on customer-selected hours. PalmPay described it as a way to give users greater control over account security, especially when they may be less likely to notice unusual activity. For customers, the distinction is that NightGuard introduces a verification requirement during a defined period. It does not amount to a blanket suspension of night transfers: transactions within the selected window require the extra check before completion.
Security Tools and Customer Awareness
The rollout comes as digital payments become increasingly embedded in everyday transactions in Nigeria. Alongside that convenience, users continue to face threats ranging from scams and impersonation to unauthorised account access. NightGuard forms part of the tools offered through PalmPay's upgraded Security Centre, which brings the new verification option into the company's wider account-security offering.
PalmPay also said customer education remains an important component of its efforts to improve digital-payment security. The announcement combines two priorities: giving customers a practical way to apply extra checks during selected hours and maintaining awareness of the risks that accompany everyday use of digital financial services.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced a set of sweeping new regulations targeting major digital payment companies, including OPay, Moniepoint, PalmPay, Paystack, and Flutterwave, as part of a broader effort to tighten oversight and deepen financial inclusion across the country. The reforms, released between March and June 2026, focused on market concentration, operational ring-fencing, ownership disclosure, financial holding structures, and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
